Purple Santa making an even larger list

By Amanda Duncan
news@wood.cm
Posted 12/31/69

For the second year, Santa will don his purple suit and make visits to distribute gifts to some of the most overlooked citizens of the community – the elderly.

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Purple Santa making an even larger list

Posted

For the second year, Santa will don his purple suit and make visits to distribute gifts to some of the most overlooked citizens of the community – the elderly.

Purple Santa is the baby of Katrina Davis, a Mineola native, who sees the lonely and shut-in daily through her job as a community ambassador for Caring Hearts Hospice. 

She is passionate about the elderly and often sees them living alone or in nursing facilities, their spouses having passed on already, and they feel forgotten. Davis wants to remind them that they are important and that they matter.

Around Nov. 1, 2018, she realized there was holiday help for children and families in need, but nothing that specifically addressed the needs of the elderly. 

With an idea to take non-monetary donations and wrap them as Christmas gifts to distribute, she went to her employers, the owners of Caring Hearts, to ask for support. They were completely on board with her passion project. 

Davis knew when she started that she had to see it to the end. She had to be dedicated. Her focus was on Mineola, Quitman and Grand Saline. She reached out to local businesses, and nine agreed to be drop-off locations for donations.

Huge boxes were donated, wrapped in bright purple paper, and left in the businesses. Weekly, Davis picked up assorted donated items and checked the boxes. Each item was wrapped, tied with a big purple bow and tag that read, “These items are from the community to remind you how important you are and that every moment matters.”

Davis was shocked at the community response. Within only four weeks, enough items were donated to serve around 300 senior citizens. Fleece blankets topped the list. 

She used social media to get names and addresses of people in need, and the Kindness Kottage of Mineola and Forever Young Activity Center of Quitman gave her the gender and address of elderly that they serve. Ray Yaeger, Davis’ dad, a local business owner himself, dressed as the Purple Santa and delivered gifts, hugs and love. They had hoped to deliver all the gifts in one day as Santa does, but the demand was just too large. 

The Quitman Chamber of Commerce gave Davis an award last year for her Purple Santa project, but she feels the award does not belong to her. It belongs to everyone who contributed in any way. 

“The community recognized that this was something wonderful and came together. It was a group effort,” she says.

Purple Santa started with a little idea last year and took on a life of it’s own. In one year, it has almost doubled. This year, there will be 16 drop-off locations in Mineola, Quitman and Grand Saline, and she’s hoping to serve twice as many people. 

Caring Hearts is continuing to support the idea, but it’s the community that makes it happen.

“Quitman and Mineola are starting to work together. They’re a power team of individuals who want to do good,” says Davis.

The drop-off locations include Mineola Dairy Queen, CowBurners BBQ & Taproom, Mineola Chamber of Commerce, Mineola First Baptist Church, Mineola City National Bank, Lonestar Learning Academy, Walmart, Caring Hearts Hospice, Kitchens Hardware & Deli, Quitman City National Bank, Speakeasy Coffeehouse, Forever Young Activity Center, Wood County Sheriff’s Dept., Wood County National Bank, Providential Insurance Firm, Grand Saline Chamber of Commerce and Brookshire’s. The boxes will be picked up two weeks before Christmas.

Davis is asking for donations of warm blankets, gloves, socks, hygiene products, space heaters, heated blankets, books, chair activities and trinkets. 

She also needs as much volunteer support as possible to sort and wrap gifts. The donations are separated according to individual needs, whether they are in a facility or their own home, and whether they are male or female. 

“No one receives something that does not pertain to them,” says Davis. 

She also asks for the community to recommend recipients. She wants to help those who don’t have anyone, those in nursing homes who may not get regular visitors, and elderly who feel alone or are experiencing depression.

The gifts will go to individuals without discrimination or based on their financial status. She wants each person to feel they were sought out to be reminded of how important they are, that they are loved, appreciated and matter. 

Santa and his elves will be delivering the wrapped gifts to homes and nursing facilities in Mineola, Quitman and Grand Saline the week before Christmas. 

To recommend a recipient who could benefit or to volunteer, contact Davis at 903-520-7029.

The goal is to remind everyone that time is precious.